Import Overview & Sequence

Importing catalog data from Akeneo PIM into Magento 2 requires strict adherence to entity dependency order. Executing jobs out of sequence can result in products lacking attribute values or categories failing to associate.

Always follow this four-stage sequence when ingesting catalog data from Akeneo PIM:

  1. Categories
  2. Attribute Sets (Families)
  3. Attributes
  4. Products

Why Order Matters

  1. Categories: Product models and simple products reference category IDs during ingestion. Creating category trees first prevents broken category relationships.
  2. Attribute Sets (Families): Akeneo families correspond to Magento attribute sets. They define the grouping structure required before attributes can be assigned.
  3. Attributes & Options: Attribute codes, labels, and option values (dropdowns, multi-selects) must exist in Magento's EAV tables before products can store values against them.
  4. Products: Products link categories, attribute sets, attribute options, and media files created in previous steps.

To open the import interface:

  1. Log in to the Magento Admin Panel.
  2. Navigate to Akeneo Connector → Import in the primary navigation:

Akeneo Connector Import Menu

  1. The import dashboard displays four distinct tabs:
    • Categories
    • Attributes Set
    • Attributes
    • Product

Action Types

Most import tabs allow selecting an Action Type:

  • Add or Update: Creates newly discovered entities from Akeneo while updating attributes, labels, and values of existing entities in Magento. (Recommended for standard operations).
  • Replace: Overwrites matching catalog records with data from Akeneo.